Wave of Transformation: Digital Empowerment and AI Evolution in Asia-Pacific
NetMission Case Study Series 2025 presents a collection of case studies on key Internet Governance topics conducted by the five (5) sub-groups of the NetMission Academy 2025. This series offers insights from a youth perspective from case studies explored and shared during the online academy sessions held from December 2024 to February 2025. With thorough study and collaborative efforts, the five sub-groups identified essential insights and proposed innovative approaches to the multiple challenges faced by the Asia Pacific digital landscape.
Chapter 1 explores the persistent efforts to bridge the digital divide in the APAC region, particularly in Sri Lanka and Nepal. In Sri Lanka, initiatives like ICTA Vision and Nenasala Telecenters enhance rural connectivity, while Nepal’s Women Digital Champions program empowers women through digital literacy. Both countries show their commitment to fostering inclusive digital development. These case studies underscore the importance of infrastructure investment, public-private partnerships, digital education, and inclusive policies in fostering equitable access to technology across the region.
Chapter 2 examines the threats posed by unauthorized data scraping by AI companies and the suppression of journalistic freedom in South Asia and Hong Kong. It highlights how AI companies exploit citizen’s personal data in order to facilitate surveillance and censorship particularly in authoritarian regimes. Such human rights violations emphasize the need for ethical AI governance, stronger legal protections, and stricter digital security measures to uphold privacy, free expression, and journalistic independence in the digital age.
Chapter 3 explores the evolving digital regulatory landscape through Australia’s Online Safety Amendment Act 2024 (‘Act’) and AI-initiated e-KYC systems. While the Act imposes social media age restrictions but raises privacy concerns, the AI-enabled e-KYC system enhances identity verification efficiency but introduces cybersecurity risks such as fraud and data breaches. The chapter highlights the need for effective regulation that manages the balance between privacy, security, and digital rights, public-private partnerships, and youth advocacy while promoting ethical AI governance to protect users and innovation.
Chapter 4 examines the challenges posed by deepfakes and AI regulation with the main focus on South Korea’s sexual deepfake crisis and AI governance models in Australia and Singapore. The 2024 Telegram scandal exposed the widespread creation of explicit deepfakes by the students, prompting stricter laws, better victim protection, and support mechanisms. While Australia’s AI governance model follows a risk-based approach, Singapore’s model follows a soft-law framework.
Chapter 5 explores Photonics-Electronics Convergence (PEC) as a sustainable solution for digital infrastructure, focusing on Hokkaido, Japan’s green data centers. By leveraging photonics, renewable energy, and efficient cooling, PEC reduces carbon footprints and energy consumptions while enhancing connectivity. South Korea and Malaysia are also adopting this technology. The chapter underscores the collaboration among academia, industry and government is crucial for scaling such innovations in shaping the future of digital transformation.
These chapters highlight the urgency of digital inclusion, cybersecurity, ethical AI, and sustainability, emphasizing youth voices in shaping a fairer digital future. We invite all stakeholders to collaborate for a more inclusive Internet.
Written by Ankita Rathi (Reviewed by Jenna Manhau Fung)